SPARKILL, N.Y. – Powered by senior Angelina Barrera (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) scoring her 1,000th career point and junior Grace Lesko (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) scoring a career-high-tying 30 points, the Mercy University Women's Basketball Team earned their 10th straight win with a 69-65 win at ECC foe St. Thomas Aquinas College on Saturday afternoon at Aquinas Hall.

The Mavericks (15-5, 9-1 ECC) have won 10 games in a row for the first time since the 2023-24 season and start 9-1 in ECC play for the first time in program history. Mercy defeats the Spartans (5-16, 3-7 ECC) for the fifth straight time.

The opening quarter began with Lesko draining a three-pointer, assisted by Barrera just 25 seconds into play. Mercy built an early lead with efficient shooting, going 8-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Lesko was instrumental, scoring multiple times, including a crucial layup with one second left in the quarter. St. Thomas Aquinas managed to narrow the gap with a 3-pointer from Toni Schuetze at the 21-second mark, but the Mavericks ended the quarter ahead, 21-15.

St. Thomas Aquinas outpaced the Mavericks in the second quarter, overcoming an early deficit to seize a narrow 34-33 lead by halftime. Sophomore Caitlin Leary's (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place) layup at 9:43 gave the Mavericks an early lead, but St. Thomas Aquinas responded with a three-pointer from Schuetze. Mercy's turnovers, totaling 12 in the quarter, allowed St. Thomas Aquinas to capitalize, with Cassidy Mahaney assisting on crucial plays. Schuetze's three-point shot with 24 seconds remaining secured the Spartans' lead as the quarter concluded.

In the third quarter, Mercy gained momentum with a key three-pointer from Lesko at 8:37, assisted by Barrera, leveling the score at 36-36. Mercy then built a lead through successful free throws and a layup by Barrera, pushing their advantage to 43-36 by 5:33. St. Thomas Aquinas responded with a three-pointer from Bailey Chapman, narrowing the gap to 43-39 at 5:12. However, sophomore Morgan Miller (Branford, Conn./Sacred Heart Academy) extended the lead to 50-43 with a jumper and a free throw at 1:53. Despite a late three-pointer by Chapman with two seconds left, the Mavericks finished the quarter ahead, 51-49.

In the fourth quarter, Lesko led the Mavericks with a key layup at 9:13 and then followed with multiple scoring plays, including a jumper at 2:11 that extended their lead to six. Chapman responded with two three-pointers, the first at 8:46 and another at 6:05, briefly giving her team a lead. Miller put Mercy ahead again with two free throws at 5:48. In the final seconds, Lesko secured the win with two free throws, concluding the game at 69-65 after Abby Jacoby's turnover and sophomore Sophia Hoyt's (Middle Village, N.Y./Archbishop Molloy) steal. Mercy outscored St. Thomas Aquinas 18-16 in the quarter, sealing their victory.

Mercy was led by Lesko who had a game-high 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting. Miller added nine points, successfully making 5 of 6 free throws. Barrera contributed nine points and recorded five rebounds while dishing out four assists. Barrera recorded her 1,000th career point with her three-point play at the 5:34 mark of the third quarter. Barrera becomes the 22nd Maverick in program history to reach the mark. Hoyt collected nine rebounds and scored seven points, also tallying two steals. Senior Kyla Nembach (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook) added six points and seven rebounds.

Chapman led St. Thomas Aquinas with 19 points, hitting an impressive 5-of-6 from beyond the arc, and added four rebounds. Schuetze contributed significantly with a team-high 23 points, converting 10 of 12 free throws and making three 3-pointers.

Mercy shot a season-high 54.8 percent (23-of-42) from the floor, 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from downtown and 75.0 percent (18-of-24) from the foul line. STAC shot 33.3 percent (20-of-60) from the field, 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from beyond the arc and 76.5 percent (13-of-17) from the charity stripe. Mercy held a 37-27 edge on the glass.

Head Coach Scott Lagas and the Mavericks resume action on Thursday, February 5th when they host Felician at 5 p.m.